I urge you to take swift action to protect diamondback terrapins from drowning in crab pots by requiring bycatch reduction devices on blue crab pots in state waters. 

Drowning in crab traps is the leading cause of mortality for diamondback terrapins. Between 60,000 and 80,000 terrapins drown in crab traps annually. As a result, diamondback terrapins are being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

  
Diamondback terrapin populations are declining across Virginia. Virginia also has the highest rates of terrapin mortality from crab traps across its entire range. In addition, Virginia has the most derelict crab traps: as many as 100,000 crab traps are lost in Virginia waters each year.

Virginia is one of the most important states for the diamondback terrapin’s survival. Virginia’s slightly discounted crabbing license has not been sufficient to stem the continued decline of diamondback terrapins in the Commonwealth.

Other states across the diamondback terrapins; range require bycatch reduction devices for recreational and/or commercial crab traps, including Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Florida. I encourage the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to adopt a bycatch reduction device rule for Virginia to ensure these imperiled terrapins do not sink further toward extinction. 

Decades of studies have shown that bycatch reduction devices prevent most terrapins from entering crab traps without significantly affecting crab harvests. In several studies, crab harvests increased between 10% and 49% when using bycatch reduction devices because terrapins were excluded from traps.

Bycatch reduction devices are a scientifically proven, cost-effective solution that can protect a threatened species, reduce bycatch, and boost crab harvests in Virginia. 

Diamondback terrapin populations have plummeted by 75% across their range in the past 50 years, and they will slide further toward extinction without urgent action. Please consider the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition to implement a bycatch reduction rule in Virginia. 

Sincerely,

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